Murder suspects plead not guilty

Taunton police and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office have three suspects behind bars and a possible motive in Friday night’s murder of 17-year-old Tigan Hollingsworth.

By TIM FAULKNER

Wicked Local

By TIM FAULKNER

Posted Jun. 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 28, 2010 at 8:30 PM

By TIM FAULKNER

Posted Jun. 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 28, 2010 at 8:30 PM

Taunton

» Social News

Taunton police and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office have three suspects behind bars and a possible motive in Friday night’s murder of 17-year-old Tigan Hollingsworth.

Etnid Lopez, 17, of 7 Paull St., and Erving Cruz, 24, with addresses in Taunton and Brockton, were ordered held without bail at their arraignment on murder charges Monday in Taunton District Court.

Etnid’s brother and roommate, Jean Carlos Lopez, 19, is also being held on $10,000 bail for a charge of witness intimidation, a charge that police said related to his lying about events prior to the stabbing.

According to numerous witness accounts and surveillance video, an altercation between several males began at about 11:40 p.m. outside Grampy’s all-night convenience store on High Street. Etnid Lopez and Hollingsworth appeared to exchange words before Lopez chased Hollingsworth around the parking lot, circling the gas pumps twice before following him down Weir Street.

Etnid Lopez and Cruz, also known as “Burd,” were seen chasing Hollingsworth and yelling, “That’s the (expletive) right there, get him,” witnesses said. Hollingsworth managed to elude Lopez and Cruz until he was apparently grabbed by Lopez behind 148 Weir St.

“Do you have him? Do you have him?” Cruz allegedly yelled. To which, Lopez replied “I got him, I got him,” police said.

A witness told police he heard slapping noises and one of the men saying “Did you get him?” Followed by, “Yeah, I got him.”

A neighbor called 911 and EMTs arrived to find Hollingsworth lying in a pool of blood.

Police stated Hollingsworth suffered 13 stab wounds: 11 on his back, one to the abdomen and one to the head.

He was pronounced dead later that night at Morton Hospital and Medical Center.

Etnid’s girlfriend, Kayla Lawrence, was at the convenience store and told police Etnid and Hollingsworth had a long-standing grudge since their days in middle school when the two had an incident at the Taunton Boys and Girls Club.

Page 2 of 2 - Hollingsworth’s father, Nicholas Hollingsworth, was also at Grampy’s during the altercation and, knowing Etnid Cruz had a knife, told his son he could not fight Cruz fairly since he had no weapon, police said.

During questioning by police Saturday, Cruz admitted chasing Hollingsworth along with his nephews, Etnid and Jean Carlos Lopez, along Weir Street.

Contrary to the video surveillance and witness reports, Jean Carlos Lopez told police he grabbed his brother while at Grampy’s and drove off in a green car with friends before the stabbing, police said.

He was subsequently charged with witness intimidation for lying and misleading police detectives, officials said.

The courtroom was a fairly chaotic scene Monday with several emotional moments, which included the mother of the one of the suspects passing out and being taken out in a gurney. Two women were also ushered out of the courtroom in handcuffs shortly after the hearing.

During the arraignment, defense attorney Daniel Rich argued that Jean Carlos Lopez “had no involvement whatsoever” in the crime.

Etnid Lopez and Cruz did not show their faces when they were brought into the courtroom, instead standing behind a wall.

Citing unspecified “concerns,” the district attorney’s office would not release mug shots of the suspects.

Defense attorneys did not contest District Attorney Garrett Fregault’s request for a denying bail.